Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-10-21
The PITCHERS ART.
Clever and Scientific Curves, Shoots, Raises
and Drops from the Box.

Murnane, that the present high stant
ing of the pitchers art WAS attaine't
/, Arthur Cummings, a Brooklyn youth
was the first TO bring into use the out
curve. He was known as the boy
wonder, back in 1869. with the Stars, OF
BROOKLYN. / have heard him tell how
he first discovered the curve. He was
pitching against picked nine one day
and noticed the bali curving- He had
no difficulty in striking the batsman
out. and went home that night and
tried to study out the phenomenon.
The next day he invited some gentle
men friends out to see him work. They
LAUGHED at him, and when he tried to
| convince them that he could accom-
plish what he claimed he failed. as no
doubt in his anxiety he sent the ball
| 100 fast, and very little curve can be
got on speedy-pitched ball. He was
not discouraged, however, but went out
with his catcher the next day and
learned that the curve came from
certain twist he gave bis wrist. He
acrked hard until he got good control
Of the new move and then as'onished
the scientific world Camm ngs was OF
/ slight blild. his pitching was very
| graceful, and his curve was Of the sail
ing kind, much Ike Caruihers' OF the
| 81. Louis Browns.
| Matthews was undoubtedly the first
| pitcher to work he raise ball, as far
| back as 1869. never saw him pitch
an out-curye until 1873, and faced his
pitching for several years before that
In 1878 Matthews was with the Worces-
tcrs and pitched against the Bostons.
defeating them. He had changed his
style altogether from previous years
and adopted one-arm Daily's style,
that is. making a double motion by
drawing back before delivering the ball
With his headwork and The addition OF
the curve he jumped into the front ranks
once more.
In 1872 Avery. the famous Yale
pitcher, discovered the "in-shoot."
don't think he could cnrve ball. ut
least ! never saw him do it. aud hit
against his pitching sevetal times. His
effectiveness was handicapped by the
inability Of his catche,a to hold him, as
without doubt the "in-shoot" is the
most difficult ball to handle. for In
those days The catchers were not pro-
tected with gloves or masks.
Fred Nichols, better known as
Tricky Nick" was the first to make
good use of the drop ball. He was a
great puzzle 20 the heavy hitters in
1886. At Bridgeport and New Haven
Conn, Nichols got a great drop Oh the
ball. when pitchers had to keep theiY
hand below the belt, which would puz
zle any of our twirlers of the prcsen
day to accomplish.
The next ball that seemed to bottle
the batters was introduced by McCor
mick. OF the Stars, of Syracuse Thi
young pitcher had Mike Dorgan, nov
of the New Yorks. for catcher. The,
shut out about all the crack clubs Of tn,
country that paid them visit. Th
ball he deceived the batsmen with wa
a raise curve. now used by Radbourn
of the Bostons. He gave his field cas-
chances; the out-lield had most of tn
work to do off his pitching. | neve
saw him pitch ball below man
belt. He had perfect control of the bal
and cool head
The curve drop was first worked b
"the only Nolan" at Columbus, o., /
1876 For several seasons he fooled tn
best batsmen.
All these different curves. raises
shoots and drops were discovered b
different people II is now no unusua
thing to find a pitcher with all thes
points and many more wrinkles thu
they keep working up. Change of pac
; was most beautifully illustrated bv A
Spalding in the old Boston champion.
Tim Keefe, of the Now Yorks. is no,
the most successful in that line. Will
Clarkson, OF the Chicagos, is ais
working the change Of pace to goo
) advantage. win White and John War
were about the first to work the shar
: curve and lin shoot" rs far back q
1878. One of the greatest pitchers.
not the greatest that ever twirled
ball. was Charley Sweeney, who WI
t with the Providence club in 1874. II
was the first and only man that eve
saw who could curve an nt-ball to
left hand batsman. Several of ii
; pitchers can got a shoot, but his was
cloan curve. He has the unequalo
record up to the present day, of nin'
, teen strilSe-outs in one game. - BoSto
/ Globe